Praying for the sick – can science prove it helps?
1 October 2008SAN DIEGO, United States — Proving scientifically that it helps to pray for a sick person is an elusive proposition, says Dr. Taeed Quddusi, one of the speakers at the 32nd annual conference of the North American Association for Baha’i Studies.
The first problem, he said, is designing an experiment, given that we are not sure of the desired result of a prayer.
“Is the point of prayer to prolong life?” he said during an interview after the conference.
He proceeded to answer, based on his understanding of the Baha’i teachings: “The point of our existence on this planet isn’t simply a longer life. The point of our existence is to know God, to worship God, to serve God.”
What about cases in which prolonging life would mean condemning a person to additional suffering, he asked. Then what is the desired result of the prayer?
And if we are not sure what effect we are seeking when we pray, how can a scientist assess the success of a prayer?
“We don’t really know what we are measuring,” Dr. Quddusi said.
“The Effects of Prayer on Healing and Recovery: A Review of the Literature” was the title of his presentation at one of the break-out sessions of the four-day Association for Baha’i Studies conference, which wound up on 1 September in San Diego. (See article.)
Dr. Quddusi, in his third year as a resident surgeon in otolaryngology at the University of Manitoba in Canada, says his review of the literature showed that studies of the efficacy of prayer have come up with mixed results.
But “meta-analysis” – where results are aggregated – shows no measurable effect, he states.
Does this mean prayer doesn’t work?
No, he says, because, in addition to the problem of determining what to measure, there are many factors that confuse the issue – factors that don’t necessarily lend themselves to scientific analysis. For example:
-- Does the fervency of the prayer matter? If so, how do you measure it?
-- Does the number of people praying for a sick person make a difference?
-- What about the worthiness of the “recipient” of the prayers? And what role does divine forgiveness play?
-- Should you take into account the seriousness of the illness?
-- Does the professed religion of the people involved, or absence of religion, influence the outcome?
-- Is it possible to have a true control group, given that people are always praying for other people, and the grace of God is constant and limitless?
(without permission from BNS)
I think my readers would appreciate this perspective and so I have copied the article in its entirety.
Dr. Taeed Quddusi, a resident Physician in Winnipeg Canada, says it will be difficult - probably impossible to scientifically prove the effectiveness of prayers said for healing.